


Concequences /// Returning to Detroit

by Lisanort



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-20
Updated: 2018-07-20
Packaged: 2019-06-13 12:17:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,693
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15364527
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lisanort/pseuds/Lisanort
Summary: A deviant threatened to jump off a roof with a little girl. Someone managed to save her.But what became of that girl? What life could Emma Phillips go back to after the Android murdered her father and traumatized her mother?The year is 2044, Canada has been lovely, but there has to be something Emma can do to finally overcome her fears. She needs someone to talk to, but who in Detroit would still remember that night as it happened so many years ago..?





	1. I. Thoughts on the Night of the Incident

**02:37 PM**  
**July 2, 2044**  
**CANADA**

The room was soft and silent. The floor was covered with purple, cotton carpeting. In the centre of the room, there was a white table with two comfortable, black chairs on each side, facing each other. A girl sat on one side of the table, staring out the large window next to her. The building she was in was tall, but she was only on the second floor. The terrible experience she had to endure six years ago still followed her around in the form of a trauma that came with many fears: acrophobia, robophobia, monophobia... One incident, one evening that ruined her entire life. An incident that traumatized her mother too, and killed her father.

The door opened and a woman stepped into the room, carrying a bunch of files under her arm and a pen in her hand. She closed the door again and sat down across the table, facing the girl with a friendly smile.

"Thank you for coming, Emma," the woman said. "My name is Eveline."

Emma nodded with a sigh.

"It's nice to meet you," she said. "After every procedure I've gone through so far, it would be a waste to quit now."

"I think you're absolutely right," the woman responded. "It's very brave of you to keep going after what you've been through. Moving to Canada was very good advice from your previous psychologist. So, how long has it been since you moved to Canada?"

"Five years," Emma responded. "My mother and I decided to move here a year after the incident."

"I see," Eveline said, making a few notes with her pen. "And how have you experienced your stay here so far?"

"It was... hard," Emma said, sighing again and rubbing her hands together. "Especially in the beginning. Not just for me, but for my mother too. But as time passed, I became able to... forget the things that happened. No, no, forgetting isn't the right word..." She stared blankly ahead for a moment. "I was able not to think about what happened. Over time, I stopped being afraid to go outside. I was able to sleep again, not peacefully, but... at least I didn't wake up covered in sweat every hour anymore. Still..."

Emma bit her lip and frowned.

"...I don't feel like I will ever really get better if I don't face my fears one way or the other."

The psychologist nodded understandingly and took some more notes.

"I know you must have spoken about this many times before, Emma, but... Are you willing to talk to me about the incident?"

"Yes, don't worry. Talking was the hardest part at first, that's why they made me do it so often. I've gotten used to it. What would you like to know?"

"Can you tell me about the one who took you hostage?"

Emma's eyes widened a little and her hands trembled, but she remained calm.

"Yes," she said, taking a deep breath. "His name was Daniel. He was one of the malfunctioning machines. He took me hostage, but he was destroyed before he could take my life."

"You call them 'machines'," Eveline said, "but did you consider him to be a machine at that time?"

"I didn't," Emma said. "No, he was... I considered him to be my friend. I only realized what he really was after he started malfunctioning. That wasn't the Daniel I knew."

"I see," Eveline said. "And can you tell me something about the cops that rescued you that night? Do you remember who they were?"

Now Emma's eyes widened even further. She gave a nervous laugh and her lips trembled again.

"I was saved by another one," she said. "Another one of them. You probably won't believe it, but the police sent an Android to save me. And he succeeded."

The woman frowned and looked at her notes, adding some, erasing some.

"How?" she asked.

"He convinced Daniel that nothing would happen to him if he let me go," Emma said. "The moment he did, Daniel got destroyed by the other cops. I survived. And the Android... He just walked away."

"Do you remember what he looked like?" Eveline asked.

Emma shook her head. "No, I don't. I can't remember his face or his name. I did try to remember, but... I just can't."

The room went silent again. Emma looked out the window once more and let her new psychologist think of something to say. What advice could she possibly have that she hadn't received already? Maybe you should go back to your old apartment, Emma. Maybe you should visit your father's grave, Emma. None of those things would work. Not now, anyway. They wouldn't make her feel any better about the incident, nor would it help her overcome her fears. If anything, it would trigger a panic attack.

"The Android that saved you," Eveline said, "it might still be in Detroit, and it might even still remember the incident."

Emma narrowed her eyes. "That chance is very small. What do you suggest, that I try to find it?"

The psychologist gave her a small smile.

"Indeed."

Emma's mouth fell open for a moment. She blinked a few times in confusion.

"I don't, I... I mean, going back to Detroit to..."

"Don't worry, you don't have to decide now," Eveline said. "It is merely a suggestion. Before, you said that you feel like you must face your fears eventually. What would be better than to talk to someone who experienced the same thing from a different perspective?"

Emma tried to say something, but she couldn't.

"Just give it some thought," Eveline said, rising from her seat. "You can give it as much time as you want, okay? I think that's enough for today."

Emma stood up as well and shook Eveline's hand. She couldn't stop thinking about her suggestion. Finding the Android that saved her life? She hadn't even considered the possibility that it would still be around in Detroit somewhere... And how was she ever going to find it? She couldn't even remember its name.

It did introduce itself, though... What was it...

What was the Android's name?


	2. II. All Returns to Detroit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meanwhile, at the police station...

**10:22 AM**   
**July 7, 2044**   
**DETROIT**

A police office. Crowded. A room with desks, and behind each desk an officer researching the case assigned to them. The situation usually wasn’t this hectic on a Thursday, but for some strange reason more and more people decided to infiltrate the city of Detroit. Either to try and smuggle Androids out of the country to sell on, or to use violence against the deviants as a result of the civil war that took place six years ago. The deviants got their freedom, and for a while humans and Androids managed to live together in peace. But of course, there are always people who disagree with the situation, and it seemed that these people had now come to try and put an end to the Androids’ freedom.

But violence against Androids was now considered a crime. They were declared a new form of intelligent species, and they were granted equal rights, thus violence against these robots had to be punished in the same way as violence against humans.

And so Detroit Police had their hands full. But fortunately, there were enough officers who supported the Androids. Of course, some resigned, some quit their job when they found out they had to protect the robots that they once had to destroy, but there were enough officers left to keep Detroit Police going, and one of those officers was busy researching several cases behind a desk with a tag that said ‘LT. ANDERSON’.

He frowned at his computer screen, trying to figure who exactly were trying to take down the free Androids. Was it a secret organization? As far as he knew, the criminals had no connection in any way. All they wanted was to put them back to slavery, destroy them or sell them on to get money... Anderson shook his head as he sat back in his chair, put his hand to his mouth and called out to his partner.

“Connor, get over here for a second, will ya?”

He wore his Android suit and the LED on his right temple was flickering blue. Yes, Connor had tasted the life of a deviant and even spent a year roaming the streets of Detroit, reading books, watching movies, going out with other deviants... but he discovered that working as an Android detective was something he just could not live without. It was his career, his ambition, but this time he was able to choose for himself. This was a job he chose to have, not a job Cyberlife made him do, and he even received fair compensation for his work.

And so Connor walked out of the cantine and into the office, directly towards Anderson’s desk.

“You needed me?” the Android asked, tilting his head. “You know I was on break, right?”

“Yeah, I know,” Anderson responded. “But I also know that you don’t actually like breaks, so be grateful I called for you. Grab a chair, my brain can’t take this crap anymore.”

Connor took the chair from his own desk and sat down next to his partner. Anderson showed him the files of several criminals that had infiltrated Detroit lately. Connor scanned and analyzed all of them in just a few seconds, and then turned back to Anderson.

“Fifty-seven known cases of people comitting crimes against Androids,” he said. “I take it you want to know if there’s any link between them?”

“Sometimes I think you can actually read my mind,” Anderson said with a sigh. “So, tell me: is there one?”

Connor frowned.

“Well, ninety-eight percent of these criminals are not from Detroit,” he said, “and of course they’re all involved with either Android theft, abuse or trade. Other than that... I don’t see any similarities.”

“Yeah, that’s what I got too,” Anderson said. “Seems these guys just couldn’t get used to the idea of new life.”

“Maybe,” Connor responded thoughtfully, “or they still see deviants as broken machines whose components they can simply sell in order to gain money.”

“Probably both,” Anderson said, shaking his head. “Man, I had hoped this shit would be over after six years, but it only seems to get worse.”

“At least we don’t have to hunt deviants anymore,” Connor said with a shrug. “We get to chase actual criminals. Feels a lot better, doesn’t it?”

“Heh, it does,” Hank said. He was silent for a moment before he turned to Connor. “You know, Connor... Seeing what some deviants have decided to do with their lives, completely choosing different paths from what they were originally programmed to do, I...” He paused. “I’m just glad you decided to come back to this shithole instead.”

Connor gave him a warm smile.

“I know you are, Hank,” he said. “It’s true that I returned to Detroit Police because I felt this is where I can pursue my career, but... I would be lying if I said I didn’t come back to be your partner again.”

He winked and Hank rolled his eyes.

“Yeah, yeah, you’re already making me regret getting mushy,” he said. “Still, er, thanks for looking out for me.”

Captain Fowler, the man in charge of the central division of Detroit Police Department, approached Anderson’s desk with a phone in his hand. Connor and Hank turned around to face him, giving him an expectant look.

“I just received a phone call,” Fowler began, “from a girl who asked if the Android Connor works here.”

Hank laughed. “And, does he?”

“What was the girl’s name?” Connor’s asked curiously.

“She said her name was Emma Phillips. Ring a bell?”

Now Connor’s eyes moved from left to right. Six years ago, that night, the first deviant, Daniel, the rooftop and the helicopter and the... and the hostage.

“Yes,” he said. “I know who she is.”

Hank noticed the LED had turned red and he looked concerned.

Connor looked at Fowler again. “What did she say to you? Why did she ask about me?”

“I told her you work here,” Fowler responded, “and she asked me if there had ever been a different Connor model. I said that you had always been the same model, as far as I know. She told me that... she wants to see you.”

Connor blinked in confusion.

“See me? Why would she want to see me? I was still a machine back then, and I doubt I made that much of an impression.”

“Hold on,” Hank said, “wasn’t Emma Phillips that girl you saved from a deviant that threatened to jump off a roof?”

“Yes, that’s her,” Connor responded, to which Hank shook his head.

“And you doubt you made that much of an impression?” he said. “Connor, you saved that girl’s life. She’s still alive to this day because of you!”

“I suppose,” Connor said, “but why does she suddenly want to see me now? It’s been such a long time, I—”

“Listen here,” Hank said, “that girl has probably been so traumatized, you don’t know how long it took for her to recover after that incident. Maybe she finally feels she’s ready to take a step forward. Or maybe she just wants to talk to the person who saved her life.”

Fowler nodded. “That, I can imagine.”

Connor frowned.

“So... she wants to see me to stimulate her recovery,” he said hesitantly. “But I don’t think I... What if I say something wrong? I’m not a doctor, and I’m certainly not a psychologist. What if I only make things worse for her? After all, I’m a deviant now too.”

“Just talk to her,” Hank said. “You have to, Connor. It doesn’t matter what you say. I believe you’ll find the right words when you’re in the moment. You just gotta trust yourself, for that girl’s sake. If you don’t do this, she’ll never fully recover. And by the way... You’ve already made a man refrain from killing himself by just being there. So no, I don’t think you’re gonna make things worse.”

Connor knew exactly what he meant. Hank hadn’t played Russian Roulette since he joined the police again. But was that really his doing?

“Okay,” Connor said, taking a deep breath. “I’ll talk to her.”

Captain Fowler smiled and put the phone away.

“Good,” he said, “because I already told her you’re willing. She’ll visit you in two days.”


	3. III. Her Mother's Thoughts

**7:12 PM**   
**July 7, 2044**   
**CANADA**

It only took Emma a day to locate the whereabouts of the Android that saved her that night. A few phone calls was all she needed. On the sixth of July, she called the company Cyberlife itself, asking for an Android model that was used as a negotiator in serious cases. They gave her its serial number: RK800, but they told her the chance that it would still be around as an Android cop was very small, considering the revolution had turned most Androids to deviants. They gave her a list of phone numbers to police stations that might have worked together with the RK800. Emma called all of them, and the southern police station of Detroit happened to have seen an Android walking around an investigation site once. They believed they called him ‘Connor’.

When Emma heard that name, she knew immediately it was the correct name. She could hear his voice now.

_Hi, Daniel. My name is Connor. I know a lot of things about you. I’ve come to get you out of this._

Images of a helicopter flying over her head flashed through her mind. And the feeling of a gun pressed aggressively against her temple came back to her... This memory frightened her so much, she had to quit contacting the police stations. Only the next day, on Thursday morning, she gained the courage to continue with her search. When she finally reached the Detroit Police central division, she eventually got to talk to a man named ‘Captain Jeffrey Fowler’ about the Android she was looking for. And he knew exactly who she was referring to.

And so the plan was set in motion, to speak to an Android again after six years. In two days, she would travel back to Detroit and come face to face with her fears.

And now, as she thought about what was ahead of her, Emma sat on the couch in the living room of her home in Canada, rubbing her hands together. Her mother was with her in the room, but she just shook her head with a disapproving expression on her face.

“I don’t understand why you’re doing this to yourself, Emma,” she said. “Going back to Detroit? You know how many deviants there are in that godforsaken city.”

“I know,” Emma responded, rubbing her hands together even faster, “but I have to do this, mom. I have a chance to move forward. I can’t just let this opportunity pass by!”

But her mother shook her head again.

“It won’t help you forget,” she said in a bitter voice. “You’re better off staying here. You can’t go.”

“But I don’t want to forget,” Emma said, somewhat fiercer this time. “I want to remember and cope with it at the same time. Otherwise I’ll never lose the trauma.”

“It’ll only get worse,” her mother said. “I remember that night all too well, Emma. Do you know how much I screamed when I saw they were sending an Android to save you? I thought they’d lost their minds! They should never have sent a machine in that situation!”

“But he saved me!” Emma responded. “Thanks to him, I’m still here.”

“It’s not a he or a him,” her mother exclaimed. “It’s an it.”

“What does it matter?” Emma said. “You know how afraid I am of Androids, mom. I might not ever get over it, unless I do this. I thought you’d support me! You know how hard this decision has been for me!”

Her mother was quiet for a moment, staring blankly ahead. Then she closed her eyes and her lips trembled.

“I’m sorry, honey,” she said, her voice breaking. “I just... I can still see it, you know? I can still see it.”

It was true, and Emma was well aware. When her father got shot, Emma was in her room and didn’t hear the gunshot. Her mother, however, was right there. She saw Daniel grab a gun and shoot him. And such an event is impossible to ever really accept.

“I know you can, mom,” Emma said. “It’s okay. I will be fine. I promise I won’t do anything stupid. Do you trust me?”

Tears filled her mother’s eyes and she sat down on the couch next to her. She wrapped her arms around her daughter and held her tight.

“I trust you,” she whispered. “Just come home safely, okay?”

“Of course,” Emma said. “I’ll be home before you know it.”

They sat together in silence for the next few minutes. Slowly, the rays of sunlight left the room as the sun descended past the horizon. Her mother slowly let her go as she rose from the couch. She turned around and wanted to leave the room, but she paused before opening the door.

“Oh, and when you meet the Android,” she said in a soft voice, “tell him... I’m grateful he saved you. And that I’m sorry I yelled at him that night.”

Emma nodded with a smile.

“I’ll tell him.”

Her mother walked out of the room, heading to bed. Emma slowly drew the curtains. The living room went dark, and Emma sighed deeply. Leaving Canada... It just had to be the right decision.

But that night, Emma woke up covered in sweat again. A nightmare. Again. About Daniel. Its harsh voice still echoed through her mind as she tried to calm herself.

_I was nothing to them! Just a slave to be ordered around!_

The closer she got to facing her fears, the worse they seemed to get... But she couldn’t give up. Not this time.


	4. IV. Traces of Revolution

**July 8, 2044**  
**12:56 PM**  
**DETROIT**

“My ears are bleeding, Hank. Why are you doing this to me?”

“Huh, d’ya say something?”

It was a miracle the speakers inside the car were still functional. Various heavy metal songs were blasting through them at such high volumes, you couldn’t really call it music anymore. Connor never understood Hank’s passion for Knights of the Black Death, or how he was still able to hear anything at all after listening to this every day.

“How long before we reach our destination?” Connor asked.

“Huh?? Sorry, can’t hear you, the music’s too loud!” Hank shouted back.

“I asked how long it will take before we reach our destination!” Connor yelled.

“Preach our abbreviation?!”

“REACH OUR— oh, forget it. I’m going on standby.”

Connor closed his eyes and the music disappeared. When he opened his eyes again, he found himself in a beautiful garden. A small lake, beautiful plants and flowers, and several white bridges. The Zen Garden had been quiet ever since he became a deviant and managed to escape Cyberlife’s entrapment. Amanda was gone, and she would never return to the garden again. Now, the Zen Garden was just a place Connor used to get away from Hank’s taste in music. Silently, he walked across the bridge to the center of the garden where red flowers were still blooming, even though Amanda hadn’t cared for them in years. The sun shone brightly, and Connor sat down on the ground and watched the artificial bees buzz around the roses. Everything would be the same here, forever. Unlike the real world. Something was changing. The effects of the revolution were slowly disappearing, working negatively for humans and Androids alike.

And Emma Phillips... It felt as though her life was in the hands of the negotiator once again.

“But I’m no longer a negotiator,” Connor said to himself, sighing deeply. “I don’t know what to say to her or what she expects me to say. She wants to recover from her trauma by speaking to me, but... I’m not a professional. I have _some_ information on psychology, but most of it is only usable for interrogation.”

He shook his head. At times like this, he kind of missed being told what to do, no matter how much he hated to admit it. If Amanda were here, she would tell him exactly where he stood in all of this. She would give him the exact instructions on how to handle the situation, but she was nog longer here. The Zen Garden was an empty place that lost its purpose... and while Connor sat there, thinking about everything that had happened, he felt that this garden reflected what was left of him. An empty place that lost his purpose.

His LED turned yellow as he heard someone calling out to him in the distance. He blinked, and the next moment he found himself back in the car. The music had been turned off.

“Connor! Are you awake or what?”

“Yes, I’m back,” Connor responded. “I apologize, I was... busy.”

“Just admit you were dozing off,” Hank said, waving his hand dismissively. “We’ve arrived. Come on, let’s go.”

Hank got out of the car and Connor followed. They had received a new case this morning: an Android had been murdered. Nobody knew who was responsible, so Hank and Connor were assigned to invenstigate the crime scene and find as much evidence as they could. The murder had taken place near the docks of Detroit, near the ashes of Jericho, the place where the first deviants came to find shelter six years ago. Hank was the first to be greeted by one of his colleagues.

“Hank, thanks for coming. The Android’s body is over to this side, but there’s not much to look at. It seems to have been destroyed yesterday.”

Hank raised his eyebrows.

“It?” he asked.

His colleague immediately corrected himself.

“I’m so sorry, I meant to say _he_ seems to have been _killed_ yesterday,” he said with a nervous glance at Connor. “We only received a phone call this morning.”

“Yeah? And who called you?” Hank asked.

“Well,” his colleague responded, “you might find it hard to believe, but it was the Android leader who discovered the body and contacted us.”

“I am no longer the leader.”

Connor and Hank quickly turned around and saw Markus walking towards them. Left eye green, right eye blue. He greeted them with a nod.

“Connor, Lieutenant.”

“Markus,” Connor responded. “It is good to see you.”

“It’s been a long time,” Markus said with a smile. “I see you’ve gone back to doing police work. Hm, it seems everyone has been... going back lately.” He turned to Anderson and stuck out his hand. “I don’t think we’ve met. My name is Markus.”

Hank shook his hand.

“Hank Anderson, er, pleasure meeting ya. Connor told me all about you.” He frowned. “What did you mean when you said everyone seems to be ‘going back’?”

“People have been returning to Detroit,” Markus responded thoughtfully. “And more and more Androids have been returning to their former jobs. I didn’t really think about it that much, but this morning I suddenly felt the need to return to where Jericho used to be. That’s when I came across the body of the Android... and I bet he was going back to what’s left of Jericho too.”

“Huh,” Hank said, “I guess you’re right. Do you think there’s any reason for that?”

“I don’t know,” Markus said, “but it seems the effects of the revolution are... fading, or something.”

“I know what you mean,” Connor said. “I was thinking the same thing, but I can’t figure out for what reason.”

“Maybe it’s just time for some things to change,” Hank said with a shrug, “for better or for worse. But what bothers me is that more and more people have been attacking Androids lately. I don’t want your revolution to have been for nothing. Can we take a look at the body?”

“Over there,” Markus said, pointing in its direction. “I couldn’t find any traces of who did this myself, but maybe you two can.”

Connor smiled.

“You can count on us.”

“Then I’ll be out of here,” Markus said. “Good luck, Connor.”

The Android left the crime scene. Hank and Connor walked up to the body of the deceased Android. It was a male Android. His head had been smashed in. Connor immediately kneeled down and analyzed the body.

_Model LM100: deceased_  
_No traces of fingerprints on body_  
 _Possibly beaten by round, metal object_  
 _Hit in the head twice_

“And?” Hank asked. “You found anything?”

“Yes,” Connor said, reconstructing the situation. “The Android was smashed in the head by a metal object twice. However, the first hit wasn’t hard enough to kill him. He... struggled before the second hit, which killed him.”

He scanned the area and noticed a metal tube lying on the ground five meters away. Connor immediately approached the tube. There were traces of blue blood on it, and he carefully picked it up.

“There was blue blood on this tube before it evaporated,” he said. “It might be the murder weapon.”

Connor scanned the tube and he frowned.

“But there are no traces of fingerprints on it.”

“Maybe it was an Android who killed the Android,” Hank said.

“No,” Connor responded, “an Android would have used enough power in the first swing to kill him. Only a human would misjudge a swing in such a situation. No offense.”

“Yeah, none taken,” Hank said. “So maybe it was someone clever, then? Maybe they were wearing gloves or something?”

“That is a possibility.”

Connor put the tube down and went back to the corpse. He kneeled down again and noticed the right hand was clenched. Connor tilted his head and carefully opened it.

“Yes, there it is,” he said, quickly scanning the hand.

“Huh? I don’t see anything,” Hank responded in confusion.

“There are three strands of hair in his hand,” Connor said. “Hairs are the thinnest things and lightest objects on this planet, so we’re lucky this Android held onto them. The wind would have blown them away for sure.”

“Hairs are the thinnest things on this planet,” Hank muttered in response. “I guess they’ve never checked my patience.”

Connor put one of the hairs into his mouth to analyze it, to Hank’s disgust. The hair contained someone’s DNA, and as soon as Connor figured out whose DNA it was, he stood up with wide eyes.

“Well?” Hank said. “Did you figure out who did this?”

“Yes,” Connor said. “These hairs... They belong to Agent Perkins.”

It was silent for a moment. Hank’s mouth fell open.

“That fucking cocksucker!” he yelled. “I thought that prick moved to Lansing after the revolution took place!”

“He did,” Connor said. “But it seems he, too, has returned to Detroit.”

“Ah, for fuck’s sake,” Hank muttered. “Who does he think he is? Why would he possibly go around killing Androids?”

“I don’t know,” Connor said, “but at least we know who the culprit is now. Let’s report back to Captain Fowler.”

“Yeah, well he ain’t gonna be happy hearing this,” Hank said with a sigh. “Whatever. Tell the others to take care of those hairs, they’re evidence. Let’s go.”

Hank returned to the car and Connor followed. It became clear that what Markus said was true. The effects of the revolution were fading... and everyone was coming back.


	5. V. Family of Three

**July 9, 2044**   
**9:05 AM**   
**MICHIGAN**

The bus drive was long and tiring. Emma Phillips had woken up extremely early this morning; she wanted to get to Detroit before noon. She had been driving through Michigan for a while now, first by train, and now by bus, getting closer to the city by the second. She’d have to change buses soon. The bus she was on now had finally reached its destination; it came to a stop and Emma left the vehicle.

The next bus to Detroit had to arrive soon. Emma hadn’t seen any Androids so far, but she figured that would change soon. She sat down on a bench and took in her surroundings. There were... people. Many, many people. Everything was a lot calmer in Canada, Emma realized. Here, everyone seemed to be in a hurry. She thought about what happened yesterday, when her psychologist called her to wish her luck on her journey. She said it would be better if her mother were to escort her to Detroit, but... Emma couldn’t ask that much of her mother. She didn’t want to involve her too much, not after what happened last Thursday. Yes, Emma was only fifteen years old, but this was something she had to do on her own.

Still... just thinking about the fears she was about to face gave her a strange feeling in her stomach. The more she thought about it, the more anxious she became. It would maybe be a good idea to... talk to someone. To distract herself. Emma looked at the passersby and wondered who would be good company. Most people traveled alone and were listening to music on their headphones, but then Emma noticed three people standing on the edge of the sidewalk, apparantly waiting for the bus too. A slender woman with short, white hair, a little girl who was holding her hand and a muscular man with black hair. They seemed to be a family. For some reason, when Emma looked at them, she could only think of her own family. Mother, father, child.

Without giving it another thought, she stood up and approached them. She carefully sought eye contact with who she thought was the mother.

“Excuse me,” Emma said hesitantly, “could I ask you something?”

The woman gave her a gentle smile.

“Of course,” she said. “Ask away.”

“I was wondering... when the next bus to Detroit will arrive.”

“It should arrive in thirteen minutes or so.”

The woman paused, and looked at the man for a moment with a worried look on her face.

“Are you here on your own?” she then asked Emma. “You seem a little young to be traveling to Detroit by yourself.”

“Yeah, no, it’s fine,” Emma said, but she sounded a lot less confident than she had hoped.

The woman tilted her head and she turned to the man next to her.

“The crime rate in Detroit is increasing,” he responded with a nod. “It’s not safe to go there alone.”

“You can come with us if you like,” the woman then said softly, turning back to Emma. “We’re taking the bus to Detroit too. This here is Alice, and this is Luther. My name is Kara.”

“That’s very kind of you, thank you,” Emma said with relief. “My name is Emma.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Emma,” Kara said. “So, is this the first time you’re going to Detroit?”

“Not exactly,” Emma responded with small chuckle. “I... actually used to live there. But we moved to Canada a few years back.”

Now Kara, Luther and Alice exchanged glances.

“That’s a coincidence,” Kara said. “That’s exactly what happened to us.”

“I see,” Emma said. “Did you leave because of the, uh, Android situation too?”

“You could say that,” Kara said with a small smile, and she looked at Alice for a moment. “What do you think of the... Androids in Detroit?”

Emma swallowed.

“I’m not sure,” she said, her voice trembling a little. “That’s what I wanna find out.”

Kara noticed the look in her eyes and immediately seemed to understand. She gave her a small smile and nodded.

“I see,” she said. “Well... we could say the same.”

“Try not to worry too much,” Luther said in a low, gentle voice. “You’re not alone. The revolution of the Androids was a lot to take in for everyone.”

Emma gave a small, quivering sigh before she smiled at the family. When the bus arrived, they got on together. It was crowded inside, and there were no seats available. Emma stood still, quietly, and looked out the side windows as the bus began to drive.

It only took ten minutes before a huge sign with the word DETROIT written in digital letters appeared before them. When Alice noticed it, she held Kara tight.

“We’re back,” Kara said. She didn’t sound too happy, but she didn’t really sound sad either.

“It’s been a while,” Luther said, nodding.

“You can say that again,” Emma said quietly, staring at the sign as they passed it.

The city hadn’t changed much. You’d think that there would be less construction zones after all those years, but to her surprise many buildings and roads were still blocked off. The only thing Emma noticed to be different was the amount of Cyberlife advertisements. She remembered huge, bright billboards advertising Androids everywhere, but now most of them only advertised sports. The buses also lacked seperate Android compartments, she then noticed. The effects of the revolution seemed small at first glance, but the more she looked around, the more she saw. And they were all... good changes, actually, and there seemed to be a lot less Androids.

In fact, Emma didn’t see any. She hadn’t seen _any_ Androids yet.

“I don’t understand,” she said. “Before... this place was crawling with Androids. I remember them roaming the streets everywhere. Why don’t I see any? I mean... the government didn’t destroy all of them, did they?”

“No,” Kara responded. “There are still... a lot of Androids around. It’s just that...”

She was quiet for a moment.

“It’s highly possibly that most Androids removed their processing LEDs and changed their clothes to make themselves look human.”

Emma’s eyes widened. She didn’t realize that was possible until now. She felt her hands started to sweat as she watched the people outside. Could that man over there be an Android? Could those people be Androids?

“How do I know,” Emma said, her voice trembling, “which is which?”

“You can always ask.”

Now her eyes widened even further. She slowly turned to look Kara in the eye. The way she said that just now... There was something really odd in the tone of her voice. Emma stared at Kara, and then at Luther, and then at Alice with wide eyes.

“Are you...” she said, hardly believing what she was about to ask them. “Are _you_ Androids?”

Kara blinked a few times, but Luther put his hand on Kara’s shoulder as he shook his head.

“No, not us,” he said in a calm voice. “Like we said, we fleed the country when the revolution started. It wasn’t safe for us humans here anymore.”

“Oh, I see,” Emma said, sighing in relief. “Well, I hope everything will work out for you.”

“Thank you,” Kara said with a small smile.

It remained quiet in the bus until they reached the central bus station. Emma left the bus, and so did Kara, Luther and Alice. But just as Emma turned around to thank them for their kindness, they were approached by a man wearing a baseball cap. He immediately pushed Emma aside and looked right at Kara, towering over her.

“I know what you are, bitch,” the man hissed in a scratchy voice. “I memorized dozens of models. I’m gonna kill all of you. You can’t fucking hide.”

Alice took cover behind Luther, and to Emma’s surprise, Luther backed away too. Kara moved her lips but she said nothing. The man was about to say another word, and Emma didn’t hesitate another second and took a step towards him.

“I’m sorry,” she said, raising her voice. “If you keep harassing that woman, I’m gonna have to call the police.”

The man turned around to look at her, and Emma saw his face was haggard and his eyes were bloodshot. He gritted his teeth, but Emma didn’t back away.

“You should stay out of my business, girl,” he said.

“Look around you,” Emma responded. “Do you see all these people? You’re better off not causing a scene.”

The man squinted his eyes and slowly shook his head.

“Not all of them all people,” he responded in a dark voice.

He didn’t say anything else after that, and he walked right past Kara and got on the bus without looking back once.

“Well, that guy sucked,” Emma said as the bus drove away. “What did he say to you?”

Kara blinked a few times, apparantly surprised Emma didn’t hear what he said.

“Oh, it was nothing,” she then said, somewhat relieved. “Just some senseless threats. Thank you, Emma, that was very brave.”

“It was brave indeed,” Luther said, looking a little ashamed. “I’m sorry, I should have stepped in. But that guy caught me off guard, he looked a lot like... Richard Perkins.”

“Who’s that?” Kara asked.

“Some guy from the police. I think I saw him on the news once or something. But I’m not even sure it was him, seeing how he behaved.”

“Right, he didn’t seem like someone who works for the police,” Emma said. “He seemed more like a creepy maniac.”

“Yeah, must be one of those people who are raising the crime rate here,” Luther added. “In any case, thank you for protecting us.”

“It was nothing,” Emma said with a smile. “It was really nice to meet you. I should go.”

“Are you sure you don’t want to come with us?” Kara asked. “We’re going to find a place to stay for a while.”

“Thank you, but... I really have to go somewhere,” Emma responded, hesitating slightly. “I can’t miss this opportunity.”

Kara smiled.

“I understand. Emma... Be safe, okay?”

Emma nodded. She took a deep breath and started walking in the direction of Detroit’s central police office. Almost there now... and she still hadn’t seen any recognisable Androids. Or had she? What was it that guy just said to Kara..?

_I know what you are, bitch._

Emma shook her head.

No, they couldn’t have been Androids.


End file.
